Meat and Poultry Intermediary Lending Program

Meat and Poultry Processing Intermediary Lending Program (MPILP) grants are available to qualified applicants (intermediary lenders) to facilitate financing for the start-up, expansion, and operation of entities engaged in primary processing (slaughter) or further processing of meat and poultry, to strengthen the financing capacity for independent processors, and to help create a more resilient, diverse, and secure U.S. food supply chain. The MPILP will also help strengthen the capacity of lenders that are financing or plan to finance meat or poultry processors. Eligible processing facilities include USDA inspected facilities that process amenable species under a Federal Grant of Inspection, facilities that process nonamenable species eligible for voluntary USDA inspection, state or tribal inspected facilities that adhere to USDA regulations, and custom exempt facilities that adhere to USDA regulations. As reflected in the public comments to AMS–TM–21–0058, Investments and Opportunities for Meat and Poultry Processing Infrastructure, 86 FR 37728 (July 16, 2021), access to capital through loans was identified as a need for small and mid-sized meat and poultry processors. This program will expand access to financing for meat and poultry processing in the near term and will build financing capacity longer term. This program will facilitate access to affordable capital to address the ongoing need for meat and poultry processing enterprises in America’s rural and urban communities, as there are no geographic restrictions. All applicable program requirements in their entirety can be found in this notice.